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KEVIN KELLY -- What Technology Wants

Tuesday, November 16, 2010 - 7:30pm

Body:

Most of us have a love / hate
relationship with new inventions—take the “crackberry,” for example. In WHAT
TECHNOLOGY WANTS, Kevin Kelly declares this conflict as inherent to
all technology. But he also argues that technology is an extension of
life -- and an acceleration of the mind. Technology is not anti-nature,
but rather the “seventh kingdom” of life: it now shares with life certain
biases, urges, needs and tendencies.

The system of technology, which Kelly dubs the
“technium,” “wants” in an unconscious way to head in certain directions, just
as do life and evolution. The technium functions as a living, natural
system. Just as evolution has tendencies, urges, trajectories,
established forms, and a direction, so too does the technium.

So what is technology’s agenda? Where is it
headed? What is the true nature of its increasing presence in our
society? And how do the goals of the technological agenda relate to
humanity’s goals? These are the questions Kelly examines as he
uncovers three practical lessons: 1) by listening to what technology wants we
can better prepare ourselves and our children for the inevitable technologies
to come. 2) by adopting the principles of pro-action and engagement, we
can steer technologies into their best roles. 3) and by aligning
ourselves with the long-term imperatives of this near-living system, we can
capture its full gifts.Kevin Kelly is one of the true visionaries of our
time. He was editor and publisher of Whole Earth Review, helped
launch Wired magazine and was its editor for nearly six years, and has
been involved in such cultural innovations as The Hacker’s Conference, the
early online community The Well, and the All Species Inventory. His last book, New
Rules for the New Economy, sold over 100,000 copies in hardcover and paperback
and hit the New York Times Business, Wall Street Journal, and Business
Week bestseller lists. Kelly writes for publications including The
New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Time,
Harpers, Science, GQ, and Esquire, and he is currently
editor and publisher of the popular Cool Tools, True Films, and Street
Use websites.